Chapter 1, Scientific Method Flashcards
What is the definition of Science?
Systematic way of gathering knowledge about the world and organizing it into theories and laws
What is the definition of Biology
The scientific study of life
Evolution
Change over time, is descent with modification from pre-existing species
Change over time of a population
What is the organization of life into levels (complex to simple)
Biosphere,Ecosystem,Communities,Populations,Organisms,Organs and organ systems,Tissues,cells,organells,molecules,atoms
What are the 5 fundamental characteristics of life?
Five fundamental characteristics of living organisms:
o Cells
▪ All organisms are made up of memmbrane-bound units called cells.
o Reproduction
▪ All organisms are capable of reproduction.
o Evolution
▪ Organisms are products of evolution, and populations continue to evolve today.
o Information
▪ All organisms process hereditary information encoded in genes and
can respond to information from the environment.
o Energy
▪ Organisms acquire energy and use it to power metabolic
processes.
What are the three fundamental scientific theories of life?
Cell theory,theory of evolution by natural selection,chromosome theory of inheritance
What are the steps of the scientific method?
Observations can lead us to ask questions and propose
tentative answers called hypotheses.
o A good hypothesis is a testable statement that
may be either rejected or supported.
o A prediction is the measurable and observable results you expect
to see from an experiment or future observations if your
hypothesis is valid
What does the cell theory propose?
o all organisms are made of cells, and
o all cells come from pre-existing cells.
What is a cell?
A cell is a highly organized membrane-bound
compartment.
o Has the ability to store and transmit
information.
o Can harness energy
from the environment to power
metabolic functions.
What is the plasma membrane
The plasma membrane separates the contents
within the cell from the nonliving
the environment around it.
o It controls the exchange of
material between the cell and the environment.
o Some cells have internal membranes that divide
the cell into compartments.
What type of cells have a nucleus and what type of cell lack a nucleus
Have nucleus = Eukaryotic (Eukaryotes)
No Nuclues = Prokaryotic (Prokaryotes)
Importance of cell theory
This theory explicitly supports 2 of the 5 characteristics of life:
o Cells: all organisms that have ever been observed have compartments that match the definition of cells.
o Reproduction: for cells to arise from pre-existing cells, cells must replicate.
* The cell theory also set the stage for hypotheses regarding the source of biological
diversity on the planet.
